Germany 4 Gibraltar 0: World champions back on track against minnows

Germany got back to winning ways with a routine 4-0 victory over minnows Gibraltar in Friday's Euro 2016 qualifier in Nurnberg.

Published

14 November 2014

A first-half double from Thomas Muller set Joachim Low's team on their way following a solitary point from their previous two matches in Group D.

Mario Gotze scored his first competitive international goal since netting the winner in July's FIFA World Cup final, but the atmosphere for what amounted to a game of attack against defence was a far cry from that heady night in Rio de Janeiro.

A Yogan Santos own goal ended an impressive spell of second-half resistance from Gibraltar, who have now conceded 21 goals in four European qualifiers.

Liam Walker almost had a moment to remember when he came close to scoring for the visitors with an audacious volley and it was to their credit that Germany's own European qualifying record victory of 13-0, recorded against San Marino in 2006, was never remotely under threat.

The home team established their expected dominance from the kick-off as Muller dragged wide on the end of Sami Khedira's backheel and the latter's Real Madrid team-mate Toni Kroos rippled the side-netting.

Jamie Robba saved well from Karim Bellarabi in the ninth minute, but the Gibraltar goalkeeper was at fault when Muller opened the scoring three minutes later - misjudging Shkodran Mustafi's cross that came back off the post and fell kindly for the in-form Bayern Munich forward.

Jerome Boateng clipped the outside of the far post from range in the 22nd minute before Jean-Carlos Garcia almost put through his own goal off Bellarabi's low cross.

Muller had his second in the 29th minute when a perfectly weighted pass from Gotze set Lukas Podolski clear down the left channel and he slipped the ball inside for the striker to finish.